Automatic swinging crib



Sept; 10, 1929. s. e. CRANE 1,727,635

AUTOMATIC SWINGING CRIB Filed Sept. 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 33 IN VEN TOR ATTORNEY Patented Sept. 10, 1929.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFECE.

SAMUEL G. CRANE, OF KANSAS CITY, MISSOUEI, ASSIGNOR TO SYLVANUS B. CRANE, OF KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI.

AUTOMATIC SWINGING CRIB.

Application filed. September 1, 1927.

My invention relates to automatic swinging cribs, and the object of the lnventlon is to provide a device of this character hav ng facilities for impelling the crib to swing 5 after the same has been manually started.

Another object of the invention is to provide automatic means for opening the elec tric circuit when the motion impelling means becomes overheated.

I attain these objects and other advantages by means of the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of swinging crib embodying my invention, partly broken 1 away to disclose the motion impelling means.

- Figure 2 is a top plan view of the crib,

partly broken away to disclose the motion impelling means carried thereby.

Figure 3 is an end view of the solenoid 2 used for imparting motion to the crib.

Figure 4 is a top plan view of the sliding contact member actuated by the swinging motion of the crib.

Figure 5 is a side elevation of the crib 25 and showing the same at the limit of its forward swing.

Figure 6 is a side elevation of the crib, and showing the same at the limit of its backward swing.

Figure 7 is a sectional view of the sliding contact member on the line 77 in Figure 1.

Similar reference numerals refer to corresponding parts throughout the several views.

Referring to the drawings, the crib comprises a knock-clown supporting frame having vertical standards 1, a horizontal upper rail 2 secured on the upper ends of the standards by angle plates 3, and a guiding 40 rail 4 removably connected between the lower portions of the standards by pins 5.

A crib 6 is pivotally suspended by its ends from the rail 2 by two pairs of straps or rods 7 having their upper ends pivoted on 45 the rail 2 by pivots 8 and their lower ends pivoted on the projecting end portions of the bed rails 9 of the crib by pivots 10. The crib has vertical standards 11 at the corners thereof to which are removably secured side and. end panels 12 and 13 by angle plates Serial No. 216,989.

14. A box housing 15 is secured to the lower side of the crib and has depending side plates 16 in near relation to the sides of the 4C. Rollers 17 are mounted on the lower portions of the side plates 16 and bear upon the sides of the guiding rail 4:, to prevent the lateral swaying of the crib.

A solenoid 18 is secured on the upper side of the guiding rail 4, located at a central point intermediate of the length of the crib. The solenoid has a hollow core 20 through which is extended an armature 21 consisting of a rod of magnetic iron which is secured to the end of a non-magnetic rod 22, the latter being pivotally mounted between the end portions of the side plates 16, by a transverse shaft 23. The section of the non-magnetic portion of the armature is provided with a hinge 24:. The free end of the armature is extended between guides 25 secured to the inner sides of the side plates 16. Depression pulleys 26 are mounted on the upper side of the guiding rail i and adapted to engage the armature and hold the same substantially horizontal as the crib swings. On the solenoid is mounted a lever 27 of thermostatic conducting material and having its free end portion normally impinging upon the end of an adjusting screw 28 also secured on the s0len0id. A bracket 29 is secured on the inner side of the upper portion of one frame standard and to which is secured an inwardly extending slide bar 30 of insulating material and which extends between the pair of straps or rods 7 adjacent to the bracket. A contact member 31 is slidably mounted on the slide bar, said member con sisting of a conductor body having a portion slidably bearing on the slide bar and having at one end a vertical projection 32 and at its opposite end a vertical projection 33 having its inner face provided with insulation 34, also having an extension 35 which slidably bears on the lower side of the slide bar and is adapted to engage and disengage a yieldingly mounted contact finger 36 which is secured on the lower side of said slide bar. An opening 37 is apertured in the body of the member and adapted to receive the slide bar. A finger 38 is arranged to depend from a cross-piece 39 secured between the straps or rods 7 at opposite sides of the slide bar, and is normally in neutral position relative to the vertical portions 32 and 33 of the contact member and adapted to alternately engage the vertical projections named when the crib is swinging and thereby move the contact member correspondingly.

A source of electric energy, in this instance a battery, 40 is provided to energize the solenoid. A conductor wire 41 is connected between the positive pole of the battery and the finger 38. A conductor wire 42 is connected between the finger 36 and one end of the coil of the solenoid. A wire 43 is connected between the opposite end of the coil of the solenoid and the adjusting screw 28, and a wire 4A is connected between the lever 27 and the negative pole of the battery. The circuit described is normally open.

\Vhen the swinging crib is swung forward the finger 38 is brought to engage the vertical portion 32 of the contact and thereby closing the circuit and sliding the contact member forward on the slide bar 30 and withdrawing the extension portion 35 there on from engagement with the finger 36. When the circuit is closed by the finger 38 contacting the vertical portion 32 of the contact member the solenoid becomes energized and exerts a magnetic 1111 on the armature 21 in the direction of tie forward swing of the crib, which pull is increased as the armature moves toward and into the core of the solenoid and until the center of the armature mass approaches the center or vertical axis of the solenoid, whereupon, the contact member has moved forward and withdrawn its finger extension 35 from engagement with the finger 36, thus opening the circuit and deenergizing the solenoid. The pull of the solenoid on the armature accelerates the forward gravity swing of the crib to such an extent that the loss of momentum in its backward swing is entirely overcome in each forward swing thereof. When the crib starts its backward swing the finger 38 is carried back from contact with the vertical portion 32 of the contact member to a contact with the insulated face 34 of the vertical portion 33, thereby pushing the contact member backward to the limit of the backward swing of the crib and forcing the extension 35 of the member under and in contact with the finger 36 to complete the circuit at this point. (Fig. 6.) In the gravity forward return of the crib the finger 38 is carried forward to again engage the vertical portion 32 of the contact member and thereby again energize the solenoid and accelerate the forward swing of the crib, as hereinabove explained. These alternating motions of the crib and actions of the contact member in respect thereto are continued as the battery is closed through the solenoid. The crib is pushed by hand to start the automatic swinging thereof after the main switch 45 has been closed and, thereafter, the swinging motion of the crib will continue by the magnetic impulse of the solenoid in the manner already described. The crib is mounted, in this instance, for longitudinal movement. The provision of the lever 27 is for the purpose of opening the circuit in case the solenoid becomes over heated. Obviously, the resistance of the coil of the solenoid may be arranged for the timing the duration of the swinging of the crib, so that the swinging motion may be pie-determined by suitable resistance of the solenoid which will require its heating sufiiciently to expand the thermostatic lever 27 to part contact with the screw 28 and thus open the circuit and allow the crib to become inert.

Having described my invention what I claim is In an automatic swinging crib, motor operating means for oscillating the crib comprising a stationary solenoid provided with an elongated armature carried by the crib and normally without the magnetic field of the solenoid and adapted to be carried into and out of the same by the oscillating movements of the crib, a slidably mounted electric switch, a finger carried by the crib and adapted to actuate said switch when the crib oscillates, and a source of electrical energy having a circuit including said solenoid, said switch and said fin er.

AMUEL G. CRANE. 

